Bellidor's Return
by Invader Snik
Summary: Everything seems to be going okay at the Flynn-Fletcher house. The boys pay their new acquaintance Moon a visit, but something seems to be a little off with her. Then Phineas realizes: Bellidor's back, and it wants him.
1. Discovery

"Hey Ferb, pass me those pliers, would you?" Phineas slid out from under the chassis of his mother's sedan, pausing a moment while his step-brother fished around in the toolbox to find what he needed. "Thanks," Phineas acknowledged a moment later, sliding back under the car to continue his work.

Ferb preferred to remain silent, as he almost always did, and instead turned back to his own tasks under the hood. Having already upgraded the engine, he now only had to finish replacing the oil and brake fluid. Twisting the cap back on the oil tank, he took a step back from the car and waited for Phineas to finish.

"And, done!" Phineas exclaimed, sliding out from under the car and setting his tools down. "Did I-? Oh, you're done already. Well, I guess that settles it: always remember to have your PB&J sandwich _before_ working with anything larger than a V-4."

Ferb had no response. As he and Phineas finished putting their tools away, there was the distinct sound of Candace's voice from outside. A minute later the garage door opened. "Mom!" Candace cried, "Mom, c'mere and see this!"

"What is it this time, Candace?" her mother asked as she stepped into the garage, her arms folded across her chest and an unimpressed look on her face. Turning to the boys she brightened. "Oh, hello, boys."

"Hi, Mom!" Phineas grinned.

"But _Mom!_" Candace protested, "There was a turbo engine, and power tools, and this giant big machiney-thing, and-"

"Candace, there's nothing here. And even if there was, there's no possible way that it could have been cleaned up so quickly," her mother reasoned.

Candace nearly screamed. "I know! That's what I thought too! Every day it's always the same! As soon as you get here it's just _gone!_"

"I'll be in the house," Mrs. Flynn sighed, "Would you boys like to come in and have some snacks?"

"I wouldn't mind a piece of that doonkelberry pie you made night," Phineas said with a grin, and he and Ferb followed his mother inside. They joined Marissa, who had been sitting in the kitchen, sketchbook open. Looking up at them she grinned. "Hey, boys."

"Hi, Marissa," Phineas replied, sliding into the seat next to her as his mother handed him the piece of pie he'd asked for. "Thanks, Mom."

"So how'd it go?" Marissa asked, "Did you get those upgrades done?"

Phineas only smiled. "You know we did, sis."

"Well, there was that incident with the sandwiches," Ferb put in.

"Oh, really?" Marissa raised an eyebrow, "What happened?"

"Nothing!" Phineas intervened quickly, giving one ear a quick tug when Marissa wasn't looking. He knew what she'd say if she found out they'd gotten grape jelly in the engine block. He glanced back up at her and grinned. "It's fine."

"Well, alright," Marissa relented, returning to her sketch.

Phineas finished his pie and set the plate in the sink as Perry waddled into the room. "Oh, there you are, Perry," he said happily, scooping the platypus up in his arms.

Perry had no comment.

* * *

As yet another summer day would to a close, Marissa took the boys and Perry down the block to Shadowshire (although Perry was less interested in Moon and more so in Khan). When they got there she rapped four times on the door and listened for Moon's footsteps from inside. As usual, there wasn't a sound until the door opened.

"Hey, Moon," Marissa greeted, smiling a little, "You mind if we visit for a bit?"

Moon stepped aside without a word, allowing them into the old house. She sat silently on the wooden floor and gestured for the others to do the same.

"So what's new?" Marissa asked as Khan waddled into the room, settling in Ferb's lap with a soft snort before falling asleep.

"Little," Moon replied, "You?"

"Today we upgraded the engine in Mom's car," Phineas informed her with a grin, "Now she's got turbo-drive at her fingertips."

"And grape jelly in the engine," Ferb added.

"You did what?" Marissa exclaimed, both her eyebrows shooting up as she gave the boys a surprised look.

"There's worse things than that to get in there, though, right?" Moon asked, careful to remain neutral.

Phineas quickly nodded. "Yeah, and it's fine now. We had to take it apart anyway so we could install the turbo's fuel line."

"Well, okay," Marissa conceded, "As long as you don't get into any trouble."

Phineas only giggled. "You know we won't."

Marissa thought about making another comment along those lines, but decided against it. Turning back to Moon, however, she frowned.

Moon was gone, just as silently as she had come.

"That's weird," Phineas noted, also having noticed Moon's absence, "She was here a minute ago. Oh, well, maybe she's just not in the mood to chat."

Marissa turned to him, her voice completely serious. "Phineas, she's never in the mood to chat. She's only ever come to our house a few times, and once was only because you'd been kidnapped by a blood-sucking demon."

"Please don't bring that up," Phineas implored, accompanied by a small shudder. "It still gives me nightmares sometimes."

"Sorry," Marissa conceded.

A sudden screech from outside made all of them jump. Khan quickly ran off, and Ferb darted to the window to see what was going on. He could see Moon in the yard, holding down a struggling deer under one knee. She drew her dagger from her belt and slit its neck in one swift movement. After a minute its struggling stopped.

Moon only grinned, triumphant, slinging her kill over her broad shoulders and using one foot to open the door. Without a word she took the deer down the spiral staircase into the basement, out of sight.

"Moon?" Phineas followed, his footsteps making the stairs under him creak as trotted down. He found her in the basement, past a wide doorway he hadn't noticed before. Quietly nudging the door open, the first thing he noticed was the smell, and that alone nearly blew him off his feet. It was what he supposed death must smell like: salty, almost to the point of making him sick, with the rich copper-blood smell underneath. He could detect, too, the tiny fire burning in the corner, a sharp summery flavor that contrasted with the death-smell that had first hit him. He took a step back as his mind processed this, and he nearly choked. Shaking the momentary dizziness out of his head, he held his nose and stepped into the room, where Moon sat with the deer she'd killed. "Moon?"

"Hm?" she answered, keeping her eyes on the deer as she finished skinning it. She tossed the hide away and then glanced up at him. "What?"

"You kind of left us up there a few minutes ago, you know," Phineas told her, "Was it because-?"

"I saw this," Moon flicked her eyes down to the carcass in front of her to indicate, turning then again to face him. "You're supposed to have food for people if they're over, right?"

"Well, yeah, I suppose," Phineas replied a little uncertainly.

"Okay, then," Moon resolved matter-of-factly, "So what's the problem?"

"Um," Phineas started, but then decided against it. "Nevermind."

Moon only shrugged, slicing the deer to roast over the fire for a few minutes until it was ready to eat. "You're not vegan or anything, are you? I can feed you this?"

Phineas hesitated, but then informed her, "Well, we had dinner already."

"Oh," one of Moon's eyebrows shot up for a moment, but then settled back down to its usual place. "I guess this is just for jerky, then."

"Are you going to come back upstairs or would you rather us go home?" Phineas asked. He could tell she had other things on her mind, and he wasn't one to intrude if she wanted to be left alone.

"I'd rather you go home," Moon told him.

Phineas only nodded. He could tell she hadn't been taught hardly any of the common social mannerisms, and he attributed that to the fact that she had been alone for a long time. He wasn't really sure how long, but long enough where she'd forgotten a lot of what she knew about human interaction. When she spoke her words were direct and blunt, always right to the point.

But he didn't mind. He thought that was okay. "Alright," he nodded, "We'll just come back another time, then. You can always visit us, too, if you want."

"Maybe I will," said Moon.

"Okay, then, see you later," Phineas smiled at her, and then turned and went back up the stairs to the living room.

"Well?" Marissa asked expectantly, "What's her deal?"

Phineas shrugged. "She's just not in a chatty mood today, I think."

"Well, okay," Marissa agreed reluctantly, "I guess we go home, then."

"Yeah. Maybe we'll come back tomorrow. I just want to make sure Moon's not lonely up here by herself."

Marissa gave him a small conceding nod, but then added, "She does have Khan, though. I don't think she'll get too lonely."

Khan, at the mention of her name, poked her head into the room from the kitchen. After standing idly in the doorway for a moment, she waddled into the room and took a seat next to Perry.

Perry was glad of that. It only lasted about ten seconds, though, because Ferb quickly scooped him up in his arms and they all headed out the door to go back home.

As Phineas opened Shadowshire's gate, he turned and glanced back up the path at the old house. He could see Moon not too far away, chasing after a squirrel. He watched her in amusement, her movements reminding him of a crafty fox chasing a mouse. Finally she caught it, grinning, and held it up to the dark night sky. There was hardly a moon tonight, which gave the stars reign, and as the sun dipped under the horizon it was almost fully dark. After another minute it would be. Phineas only watched as she snapped the squirrel's neck, killing it instantly.

But then the dead squirrel suddenly began to glow, and Phineas' eyes widened. He took a step back as Moon's eyes suddenly changed.

He knew those eyes anywhere.

Bellidor was back.


	2. Confrontation

As soon as he saw it his heart froze. Bellidor, here! How could that happen? How had it escaped? _What had it done with Moon?_ That was the most important question in his mind. It just kept circling, over and over, growing louder each time it came around in his head.

"Phineas?" Marissa's voice suddenly pierced through his thoughts, jarring his mind back into reality. "Phineas, come on. We're going home."

Phineas only stood, frozen, his eyes wide. Slowly he lifted a hand, one finger pointing, crooked, at Moon. Marissa could see that he was shaking. "B-b-"

Marissa frowned, suddenly concerned for him. "Phineas, are you okay? What is it?" she put a hand on his shoulder, following his stare to Moon. "Phineas, what's wrong?"

Phineas only stood, shaking, for a moment. Slowly he looked back at Marissa. His eyes were wide, clearly terrified, and when he spoke his voice was a scratched whisper. "B-Bellidor's back."

"What?" Marissa breathed, taken back by his words. "Are - are you sure?"

Phineas nodded, clinging to Marissa's side and staring into her eyes. "What are we gonna do?"

Marissa glanced back at Moon, or, rather, back at Bellidor, and in that moment her resolve solidified. "I'll tell you what we'll do," she said coldly, "We'll fight it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Phineas asked timidly, "It's pretty strong-"

Marissa looked down at him, and immediately he was silent. She knew that it was Moon that had rescued him before, and so she saw it fair to return the favor. On top of that, she took an immediate loathing to anything that scared her brother. Put together, she wanted Bellidor dead, and she wasn't about to settle for any less. Narrowing her eyes she gave the monster an angry glare, but then turned briefly back to Phineas. "Are you sure this is it?"

Phineas only nodded, now clinging to Ferb instead, since he knew his sister would probably be fighting and he didn't want to hinder her at all.

"Fine," Marissa nodded, a little nervous about confronting the creature but doing her best to ignore it. Her jaw set, she stomped up to the form of Moon and glared. "You!"

The creature taking Moon's form, without a reason not to, refused to break character so easily. "Oh, you're back-"

"Yeah, I'm back," Marissa huffed, "And so are you. Now where's the real Moon?"

Bellidor only smiled, all traces of its ruse disappearing like a dense fog to the morning sun. Its manner was now completely different; it seemed to exude evil, both in its smile and in its eyes. Its movements became predatory, and although Moon's were similar this was different - more sadistic, more malicious. To Marissa the creature gave the illusion of suddenly becoming taller, intimidating her like the Other-Mother after a terse conversation. And yet, Bellidor's appearance had not changed at all; the only difference was in its demeanor.

Bellidor glared down at Marissa, its eyes hungry and devilish. "You'd really like to know where your friend is, wouldn't you? I'll tell you now I've found a safe place for her. You won't find her."

Marissa stood up on tip-toe in the hope to make herself a little bit taller. "We'll find her. We'll find her, and we'll bring her back."

"Oh, really?" Bellidor asked, amused, "And I suppose you and your brothers will be going alone? I've heard there can be terrible monsters living in the woods at night. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, after all."

"You tell me where she is right now!" Marissa demanded, grabbing Bellidor by the collar and pulling it close to her face. Her eyes were ablaze with hatred and fury, although hidden away beneath the surface there was just a hint of fear as well.

Bellidor only laughed through Moon's lips, and roughly shoved Marissa back. She stumbled, but caught herself, looking back at Bellidor to see it upon her again. "You think you can possibly threaten me? That's a laugh! You don't have a chance!" Taking a step forth, it shoved Marissa again, and then again, until she was even with where the boys hid meekly. Giving them a narrow glance, it grabbed Marissa in both hands, and pulled her up with implausible strength. With an enormous heave it threw her aside, and she skidded down to a stop at the base of a thick tree, dazed.

"Marissa!" Phineas exclaimed, darting quickly over to his sister's side, "Are you-"

But before he could finish, Bellidor snatched him up, catching the back of his collar in one hand and pulling him up off the ground.

Phineas thrashed in the air, squirming to make Bellidor drop him, but Bellidor held strong and refused to lose his hold. "No! Lemme go! Marissa,_ help me!_"

Marissa quickly shook the dizziness out of her head, turning to Bellidor with an angry glare. "Hey! Let him go!"

Bellidor shook its head, amused. "I think I'll eat this one, too, after I'm done with your friend. In another month or so I might come after _you_. I'm pretty much set for the rest of the summer."

"No!" Marissa declared, her hands curling into tight fists as she took a step forward, "I said leave him alone!"

Bellidor was silent. It gave Marissa a taunting flick of one eyebrow, and then turned and ran into the woods.

Marissa gave chase, her heart racing along with her as she ran to catch up to the monster. She could hear Phineas screaming for her, and that drove her on faster, through the trees, their branches grabbing for her face and her hair, tangling in her clothes, determined to hold her back. Her rhythmic breath kept her steady as she went, but now that the sun had gone down she had all but lost them. Finally, out of breath, she slowed to a stop, collapsing onto her knees in tears.

* * *

Ferb now sat alone in the dark, with only the stars to guide him home. Here in the woods there were no street-lamps to allow him to see, although his eyes had adjusted as best they could to the dark. He knew there was no way Marissa could catch the monster, and that there was no way for him to catch up to her. But he had to get help, and he thought Isabella the most understanding for that. Following the rough earth trail from the house, he soon came to the edge of the familiar neighbourhood. From there he ran down the kerb to Isabella's house. Darting up the front walk he paused a moment at the front steps, but then pounded quickly on the front door.

There was silence from inside for a moment, but then there was a _*click!*_ as the door unlocked. The door swung open, and Isabella stood in the frame, a tired and confused look on her face. She was dressed in her purple nightclothes, slightly wrinkled yet somehow still perfect. Her hair hadn't quite achieved bed-head status, although it was certainly heading in that direction, and there were dark circles under her eyes. "Ferb?" she yawned, "It's the middle of the night. What's so important-?"

"Isabella," Ferb interrupted, "There's not much time. We need to get back to Shadowshire."

Instantly Isabella was silent. Ferb had only ever spoken to her a few times, and even then he'd never interrupted her mid-sentence. She knew this had to be important. "Ferb...what happened?"

Ferb looked down at the ground for a minute, hesitant, and when he looked back up at her she could see the clear worry in his eyes, despite their usual comic blankness. "Bellidor's back, and it's got Phineas."

"Oh my god," Isabella gasped, "Where did it go?"

"Into the forest," Ferb replied, tossing a quick glance over his shoulder, "Come on."

Isabella followed him back through the streets, the chilly night breeze making her shiver a little under her nightclothes. The forest loomed ominously ahead of them, just a dark wall that stretched up to the sky, blocking out the stars as they went along. She found she was clinging a little closer to Ferb than usual, and after a few moments she realized she was holding his hand. Pulling it out of his grip, she turned away a little so that he wouldn't see her flush, embarrassed.

Ferb paused a moment at the edge of the trees, hesitant to wander into the dark without the stars to guide him through the thick treetops. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Isabella.

She only nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready. Let's go."

But just then Ferb froze. Tapping Isabella on the shoulder, he pointed to a small gap in between the trees, his eyes locked on what he'd just spotted.

When Isabella saw it she gasped.

Something was watching them, just a pair of small amber eyes staring out from the darkness.


	3. Almond Eyes

"What is that?" Isabella squeaked, taking a step back from the pair of eyes watching them. They were perfectly almond-shaped, glowing a soft amber, unblinking. But, just as suddenly they had come, they vanished, appearing a moment later behind a thick cluster of bushes. Almost taunting, they stared without a sound.

"Maybe it's just a stray cat," Isabella whispered nervously, more to assure herself than to present the idea to Ferb. "Just a stray cat, right?"

Ferb had no comment.

Isabella shuddered, giving the forest a wary glance. "Are you sure we should go in there? I mean-"

Ferb just put a hand on her shoulder, and nodded.

Isabella finally sighed. "Alright. Let's go," she said quietly.

Ferb led her into the trees, keeping his eyes on anything that moved, which was just about everything, considering every few minutes or so a sharp breeze rustled through the area and made the trees shake.

"Do you even know which way they went?" Isabella whispered, her voice shaky and quiet.

Ferb nodded, pointing off in a seemingly random direction. Their footsteps were far from silent - they were both very aware of that - but, nonetheless, the forest seemed disturbingly quiet. Ahead stood a small clearing, marked only by a twisted tree that stood bare and crooked in the middle, its branches like spires pointing up at the sky. Isabella skirted around it, mistrusting of it but unable to take her eyes off of it, and then turned back to the trees where Ferb was headed. After a few more minutes they discovered an abandoned pick-up truck, parked next to a small cream-yellow shed. Both of the structures had been reclaimed by the plant-life of the forest, and Ferb gave it little more than a glance before they continued.

There was the sudden sharp snap of a broken twig behind them, and they both froze. Slowly Isabella turned, certain that Bellidor had found them, but she saw only darkness from the trees that surrounded them. Looking down, however, she could see the two eyes that had followed her from the edge of the forest. They blinked slowly but wouldn't move beyond that. Maybe they were harmless, Isabella reasoned, since she hadn't been able to convince herself that it was a stray cat. She only stared back at them, frozen in place, and gulped.

The amber eyes seemed uninterested in her, and after a minute they disappeared back into the darkness. As the creature that they belonged to scampered off, Isabella could hear its bounding footsteps as it left them behind.

"What was that?" Isabella squeaked, her heart still racing.

Ferb only shrugged.

"Do you think it would be a good idea to find out?"

Ferb had no answer.

Isabella decided that she did not, in fact, want to go chasing after it, as her main priority now should be finding Phineas. She wondered what had been done to him by now, although she knew it couldn't be good. Maybe Bellidor had already killed him, and they would be too late. The thought of that made her a little dizzy, and she quickly pushed it out of her mind. Phineas wasn't dead - he _couldn't_ be. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if he was. She didn't want to think of that.

As she and Ferb went through the trees she could feel the temperature dropping, almost to the point where she thought she might freeze solid. She shivered, hugging herself to try and keep warm. Her light purple nightclothes provided little against the chill, and if it hadn't been so dark she was certain she would have seen her breath. "Ferb," she breathed, her voice quick and shaky, "It's getting cold..."

Ferb nodded, putting one arm around her to try and keep her warm. He was cold as well, but he knew that they had to get Phineas home before they could worry about that. He wished Moon was here. She would know what to do. It seemed she knew a great many things about the world, about the supernatural in particular, and although he didn't know how she had come to know so much he did wish she would share. He knew very little about her, other that what she had told them. He was normally adept at reading people, but Moon had proved impossible for him to see into. Instead, he would have to do this on his own. He kept one arm around Isabella, keeping her from shivering so badly, and they continued. His eyes traced the trees ahead, scanning for any signs of movement. He knew Bellidor had to be out here somewhere, and he could only hope Phineas was with him, since he saw little chance of finding him on his own.

Isabella suddenly stopped, tugging on one arm to get his attention and then pointing off to a small gap in the trees. She pulled him closer, and he could see the fallen form of Marissa, hidden under a dark cluster of shrubs. She dropped Ferb's hand and knelt down quickly by her, putting a hand on her forehead. She was cold, but Isabella could see that at least she was breathing. Relieved, she gave her hand a soft squeeze, but was startled when Marissa suddenly squeezed back, her eyes slowly blinking open.

"Marissa?" Isabella squeaked, "Are you okay?"

Marissa nodded, keeping her eyes low to the ground as she slowly sat up. When she spoke her voice was nothing but hurt: "It took Phineas..."

Isabella and Ferb both put an arm around her. "I know," Isabella whispered, "We were out here looking for him when we found you."

"It took Moon," Marissa added, leaning her head into Isabella's shoulder as hot tears begun to well up in her eyes. "She can't help us this time."

At the mention of Moon Isabella hardened. There was only silence for a minute, but then she gave a quiet sigh. "Let's just see if we can get Phineas back, okay? We can keep looking for him in the morning."

Marissa turned to her, clear worry written on her face. "We have to look for him _now_. What if we're too late?"

"Marissa, it's practically freezing out here," Isabella told her, "And it's dark, and we don't know where we're going, and we can't defend ourselves even if we find that monster. Come on. Let's go home, okay?"

Marissa hung her head, defeated. "Fine."

"Okay," Isabella said gently, helping Marissa up and then turning back to where she knew the edge of the forest would be. But then she spotted the pair of eyes that had been watching her earlier. They blinked once, and then again, watching her.

Isabella just stood, frozen, watching the creature in return. She couldn't see anything of its form, only the two glowing amber almonds that stared back at her. She wasn't really sure she wanted to know what it was, although she was fairly certain it was dangerous. Somewhere in her mind the stray cat idea resurfaced.

The creature blinked, and then came slowly out of the darkness. It was low to the ground, and Isabella could see little of its texture, but what she did see disturbed her. The creature was small, only the size of a house-cat, with long fox-like legs and a skeletally thin frame. It head was a mesh of mammal and reptile - its face followed a perfectly catlike curvature; its eyes set just so; its tufted ears sitting pertly on either side of its skull; but its long nose was taken from a crocodile, flat and sharp. Tiny teeth jutted crookedly out from its mouth, giving it a slight saur-like quality, and its thin bony frame melted almost invisibly into the black ground. Isabella could see its long slender fox-legs as it hopped a little in place, but its six tails made her back away a little. Hardly believing what she'd seen she counted them again - six tails, all lined up in a row, two of them boasting sharp protruding bones like the hind end of an Andalite: small, yet scythe-like in curvature. As it sat on the mossy ground it blinked, first once and then again, and then cocked its head to one side, keeping its eyes on Isabella.

Isabella didn't know what to think. If it hadn't been so strange it could almost be classified as cute, but Isabella thought that couldn't be the right word. After searching in her mind for a minute she found a better one: demonic. Although it didn't posses any horns, Isabella saw it likely that it might develop them if it was allowed to grow. She backed away from it a little, keeping her eyes on it in case it should want to attack her.

The creature only sat, however, preferring to paw lightly at the ground in front of it. After a minute it noticed Ferb, one if its ears flicking off to the side as it stared at him. After a brief silence it stood, shaking out its fur, and bounded up to him, its movements kitten-like and clumsy. Sitting at his feet, its wiry tails twitched back and forth for a moment and then finally settled down.

Ferb stared down at the creature without a word. What was it doing here? What _was_ it? It wasn't anything like the wild animals that lived around here, that was for sure. He took an uncertain step back from it, although it didn't seem to notice and instead turned to Marissa. It put its nose close to her, but then snorted and turned away. After a moment it turned and ran off.

"What was that?" Marissa asked, unsure of what exactly it was she'd just seen.

"I don't know," Isabella admitted, "But I think it's following us."

"Just make sure it doesn't get into the house," Marissa turned back to the edge of the woods, and the three of them went back to the overgrown lawn of Shadowshire. Marissa opened the old oak front door, and soon as she did she noticed that it was significantly warmer inside than it was out here. Glad of it, she headed upstairs to find an empty bedroom at the end of the hall where she could sleep. "You two can sleep with me tonight," she told them, "We'll need to stay together in case that monster comes back."

Ferb and Isabella each curled up with Marissa, and within minutes they were all asleep.


	4. The Curse

It was almost midnight. The clouds had commandeered the sky, turning everything from dark grey to black. Ferb stood alone, surrounded only by the tall dense trees of the forest. A sheer mist had begun to settle as well, covering up the low plants and making the trees appear to rise up out of infinity. It was silent. Everything was still.

Ferb blinked.

After a moment he could see something approaching through the dense fog, just a shadow at first, but getting closer. As it came to a stop before him, he could make out Moon's lithe form, although he couldn't see her face clearly through the mist. She only stared, her eyes even. After a moment they began to glow a dark blood-red. When she spoke her voice was evil and cunning...

"For every night that comes to pass your sister's death draws near

For has been laid a venom curse on she you hold so dear

By nine tonight she'll lose her mind - in three days, lose her head

But by my hand or by her own, she soon will still be dead

Upon her broken bones I'll dance, upon her dark blood feed

And revel in my act macabre, what born of blackened greed

And when her body's all but rot, I'll on her brothers turn

To satisfy my hunger, and as well to see them burn

But I have not a heart so cold; you must these next words heed

For in them lies the key to life for which you seem to plead

The game of death is quid-pro-quo - she must her brother slay

And drink two quarts his blood so she once more can see the day."

Ferb bolted awake, shaking, his eyes wide. Bellidor's words echoed in his mind, and without hesitation he ran downstairs to find some paper to write them down. Having done that, he sat back and took a deep breath. The early morning darkness was still strong over the house, and he supposed the sun wouldn't show itself for at least another hour, possibly two. He didn't much care. He thought only of Phineas, whatever that monster was doing to him, wherever they had gone. He only hoped he was still alive.

"Ferb?"

Ferb jumped. Turning to the elaborate Victorian staircase, he was relieved to see it was only Isabella, her voice sleepy. "What are you doing up? It's three-thirty in the morning."

Ferb had no comment. He'd tell her about it later. He just folded the paper up and led Isabella back upstairs.

Isabella woke early the next morning. The sun hadn't yet risen, although the few clouds that she could see through the window had begun to take up just enough light to stand out against the black sky. For a few minutes she only lie there, nestled up against still-sleeping Marissa, but finally she forced herself to sit up. She was still tired; she hadn't been able to get back to full sleep after Ferb had woken her. The best she could manage was an uneasy doze. If it had been up to her she would have gone back to sleep, but she knew they had to find Phineas.

With a sleepy yawn she stretched, her neck giving a soft _*crick!*_ as she did so, and glanced back at Marissa. She frowned. She seemed a little pale, and a gentle hand on her forehead confirmed that Marissa was burning-hot. Leaning carefully over her, she gave Ferb a nudge, hoping to wake him. "Ferb?" she whispered.

Ferb woke, a little startled, but then rubbed the sand out of one eye and yawned. Blinking a few times, he gave Isabella a quizzical look.

"Marissa's running a fever," she explained, her voice quiet and concerned, "What do we do?"

Ferb's eyes widened a little. He hesitated only a moment, but then reached into the pocket of his nightshirt and pulled out the note he'd written himself last night. He handed it to Isabella without a word.

Isabella took it equally silently. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know what this was about, but she didn't see that she had much of a say in the matter. She unfolded the note, her eyes tracing the paper. Her hands slowly began to shake. "Ferb," she stammered, having found her voice after a brief silence, "This can't be the only thing-?"

Ferb remained silent. Defeated, he nodded.

Isabella squeaked. "But - but there has to be another way," she protested as she felt hot tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "We can't..."

Ferb only put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes completely blank. He wasn't about to let Isabella se the hurt that was behind them. He knew he was the only solace she had, and he wouldn't take that from her; he wasn't cruel.

Isabella leaned into him, unable to hold in her tears any longer, and buried her head in the corner of his neck. Sobbing heavily, she wrapped both her arms around him.

After a minute Ferb did the same.


	5. Recovery

**Well, here's the next chapter of _Bellidor's Return_. I'll hopefully be able to post fairly regularly now, at least until Christmas. After that it's anyone's guess. But for now, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and enjoy! :)**

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Ferb sat with Isabella for a long time. He was just as upset as she was, but he wasn't about to let it show. She needed him, and he had to be there for her. He only sat, silent.

"Ferb, we have to do something," Isabella whispered, her voice hoarse from her sobbing, "I can't just leave Phineas out there somewhere to die."

Ferb nodded. He'd been thinking similar things, although he wasn't as certain that his brother was still alive as Isabella seemed to be. Maybe she was putting on a brave face for him, he thought.

But it didn't matter. They both knew Phineas was still out there.

"We have to find him," Isabella's voice was broken, barely containing the tears that had come up in her eyes. She pulled away from her place next to Ferb and headed to the door. "Come on."

Ferb followed her out of the house and across the lawn to the edge of the woods. He was certain Isabella could hear his heart racing; the nightmare he'd had was still in his mind, and the fact that the sun hadn't yet risen didn't help. A light mist had begun to settle over the place as well, and he half-expected to see Bellidor hidden in the shadows.

The sudden appearance of two amber eyes made him jump. They peered out at him from the fog, and a minute later the rest of the creature followed. It sat at his feet, staring up at him, unblinking. As he stared back he could feel himself calming down, almost to the point of hypnosis. When it backed away from him he felt an urge to follow.

So he did.

Through the trees he went, the dense mist muffling his footsteps. The little creature kept ahead of him, but it wouldn't fall quite out of his sight as they went. He was completely calm now, his mind almost blank, and he kept his eyes on the creature so that he wouldn't lose it. He could hear Isabella's voice calling for him, but the entrancing creature kept him close, unheeding of her. He found that the closer he stayed the calmer he became, ignoring the rest of the forest as it slowly became darker, more claustrophobic.

A sudden thunderbolt jerked Ferb instantly out of his trance, accompanied by a steady rain that turned the soft earth under his feet to thick mud and made him sink a little into the wet ground. He stared back at the creature, taking a step away from it. Why had it brought him here? What did it want? What _was_ it? He knew Moon would have an idea. Did it perhaps know where she was?

The creature only sat, perched on a jutting rock. Its six tails quivered, each at a slightly different pace than the others. It yawned.

Ferb stared back at it in both fear and curiosity. This one seemed to be young; if that was the case, its mother must be enormous. It seemed disarming enough, but he didn't want to get too familiar with it. Instead he just stood.

The creature turned and walked off, apparently no longer interested in him, and Ferb blinked. Again he wondered: why had it brought him here? This didn't seem like any sort of special place in the forest, at least not as far as he could tell. All he could see were trees. He knew he was lost, and since Isabella wasn't with him he was sure he'd be lost for a while. With a silent sigh, he sat down on the rock that the creature had led him to. It wasn't marked in any way, so why had it taken him here? He just didn't understand. Maybe it planned to kill him later. Maybe it was just a hideous pet that Bellidor had created. Humans had pets, Ferb reasoned, so why couldn't murderous demons have pets too? He discarded the thought, seeing as it didn't help his chance of getting back to Isabella. He only hoped that she hadn't gotten lost looking for him. They were both unfamiliar with the forest; if Moon were here she'd be able to take them back. Moon would be able to solve a lot of their problems right now, he thought. Why couldn't she be here with them? She'd been able to handle Bellidor well enough the first time.

Without any warning he was suddenly grabbed from behind, making him let out an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp. Whirling around he fully expected to find Bellidor here, but instead he could see only darkness. Looking down at the back of shirt he could see a muddy hand-print, and there under the rock was Phineas, beaten, with a dark bruise under one eye. He'd been stamped down with the hard mud, as he had been before, but the rain had softened it enough so that he could move a little. His eyes were wide, frightened yet weak, and when he spoke his voice was just a dry whisper. "F-ferb..."

Ferb quickly took his hand and pulled him up, out of the mud and immediately into his arms. He buried his head in Phineas' shoulder, doing everything he could to stop himself from bursting into tears.

He was unsuccessful.

Phineas only sat half-limp in his arms; he barely had enough strength left in him to keep himself up. After the cold of being out here in the rain he sucked up Ferb's body heat, which helped his shivering a little. After a minute he spoke again, his voice nothing more than a harsh rasp. "Ferb, I-"

Ferb just held him tighter, his intense sobs slowly receding. "It's okay," he choked out finally, "It'll - it'll be okay."

"C-can we go home...?" Phineas asked weakly, giving his step-brother a slightly glazed-eyed look.

Ferb nodded. "Yes. Come on, bro," he carefully helped him up, slinging one arm over his shoulder, and then turned back to the dense trees around them. Since that strange little creature had led him here, he knew he would have a hard time finding his way back. Instead he just turned in the direction he'd come, hoping it would lead back to Moon's house. He kept Phineas supported under one arm, careful of a deep scratch that he'd noticed cut clear through his shirt on one side.

Phineas followed, weak but grateful for Ferb's help, keeping a hold on him until they would get back to the house. He hoped Isabella would be waiting there. She would always be happy to see him.

But suddenly he froze. His eyes widened. "F-ferb...?"

But before Ferb could react there was a hard thud behind him and he turned to see Bellidor, still residing in Moon's form, land on the black ground in front of him. Startled, he took a step back, his heart beginning to race.

Bellidor only growled. "I should have known you'd be here, whether by instinct or by luck..."

Ferb took another step back, his eyes locked on Bellidor. He held Phineas protectively behind him, although he knew he couldn't keep the monster from doing what it wanted. He could only buy him a little time.

"You think I'm scary?" Bellidor asked him, amused, "You really think so? Ask your step-brother what I _really_ look like."

Phineas cringed, shrinking back behind Ferb for the little protection he might provide, refusing to look into Bellidor's eyes for even a second. Ferb could feel his hands shaking a little.

"L-leave him alone," Ferb stammered, staring up into Bellidor's eyes in what he hoped resembled defiance.

Bellidor only laughed. "Hah! I don't have to listen to you. You've done enough to me," its eyes narrowed, suddenly flashing back to their reptilian nature. Just seeing this made Phineas whimper softly, and Bellidor took that as encouragement. "You want to see me again, you little vermin? Fine..." and so it began to shift, reverting back to its true form. It was just as grotesque as Phineas had described it after his first encounter; thin and skeletal in nature, it boasted bony canine legs and eagle-sharp talon claws on either foot. It sprouted too a tail, covered not in flesh but just in blood and bone, its end like a skewer, lashing back and forth. Its thin body was encased in a stark-white ribcage, and from there only a few stout vertebrae connected its skull; it was elongated and saur-like in appearance, adorned by a single curved horn on top, armed with six razor teeth. Its final change split its forearms clean in half, shifting into two monstrous sets of teeth that could snap shut faster than a crocodile's. Three thin bony fingers were all it had on the end, but it was more than enough to subdue the boys. Phineas on his own hadn't stood a chance, and even with Ferb here too it knew it could take them down.

Turning back to the boys it smiled, the corners of its skeletal mouth curling up the little they could. Taking a step forward, one of the jaws on its arms snapped quietly.

Phineas shrank back from Ferb, stumbling but regaining his balance, and then turned to run. His heart was pounding, and he knew he shouldn't leave Ferb alone with the creature, but fear had all but taken over his mind and all he could think of was escape. When he didn't hear the monster behind him he turned and glanced over his shoulder to make sure, only then slowing to catch his breath. After having been stuck in the mud so long his legs were sore, his lungs felt like they would burst from the cold night-rain air, and after another minute he collapsed, sobbing, on the ground. He knew he'd just left Ferb at Bellidor's mercy. He knew he would probably die. He knew he had to go and find help.

"Phineas?"

Instinctively Phineas scrambled away, only realizing a minute later that it was just Isabella, a flashlight in one hand. Soon as she spotted him in the undergrowth she threw both arms around him, sobbing intensely. Although Phineas could tell she was speaking to him her words were garbled, and after a minute he found himself sobbing with her. "I-isabella," he choked out finally, "F-ferb - he's in trouble..."

Isabella gasped. "What happened to him?"

Phineas only had to point back in the direction he'd come before Isabella slung him up over one shoulder. "Show me."

He led her back through the trees to where Ferb had rescued him, but by the time they got there Bellidor had gone. Ferb still remained, although it was clear he'd been badly hurt - his throat had been nearly torn open, lined with a grisly row of crooked tooth-marks, and there was a dark patch of blood on one shoulder where Bellidor's sharp tail had pierced him.

"Ferb!" Isabella gasped, darting quickly to his side and helping him up.

Ferb cringed, revealing another puncture wound in his side, but even then he wouldn't say a word. He didn't need to. Isabella put one hand on his shoulder, and then pulled him up to his feet.

With him under one arm and Phineas under the other she knew it would be best to take them home.


	6. Friend or Foe

**Sorry I haven't been posting on schedule lately. I've been a little backlogged with some things. I'm hoping to get back on schedule soon as I can, so here's the next chapter...**

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By the time they got back to Shadowshire the sun was threatening to peek over the horizon, and the clouds that were scattered throughout the sky had begun to turn a deep pink that told whoever would watch that the sun would soon follow. Isabella had taken the boys upstairs and had asked Khan to find some bandages for them. After she patched them up the best she could, she just let them sleep.

They needed it.

She sat at the foot of the bed, her arms hugging her knees, and sighed. At least now they could go back to relative normal. Well, no. She knew that wasn't true. When the boys would wake up later she was certain that they would insist they go after Moon, since she had done the same for Phineas. She didn't like Moon. Why should she matter so much? She was just a weird animal that lived in the old house on the hill in the haunted part of town. Why should they care so much? She slowly began to realize that it didn't matter. Whatever the boys wanted she would probably follow. She usually did.

Then again, she reasoned, if this were a normal day they would probably be building the world's biggest sand castle or solar-powered hang-gliding panda robots or any other silly thing. She missed that. She glanced back at them, each snuggled up at Marissa's side, asleep. Marissa seemed so much more pale than she had been the night before, and if she hadn't seen her breathing Isabella might have thought she was dead. She sighed. She didn't want to have to break the news to Phineas about her, but she didn't see anything else she could do. She knew what he'd say, that he'd do anything to save his sister, but Isabella hoped that there was something else they could do.

But she didn't see it likely.

There was a small thud from behind her that made her jump, and she turned to see that small creature again, sitting on the floor by the side of the bed. It stared up at her for a moment, blinked, and then yawned.

Isabella frowned. "What are you?" she whispered, "What do you want?"

The creature didn't answer. Instead it just stared. After a moment it stood, shook itself out, and hopped out the door.

Isabella glanced out after it, but then turned back to the boys. She couldn't leave them here - it wasn't safe - but the creature seemed to want to lead her somewhere. She wasn't sure where, and she wasn't sure if she could trust it. For all she knew it could be one of Bellidor's little monsters. Moon would know what to do, she thought dimly. As much as she didn't like her, she had a feeling she might be a little more helpful than the rest of them. She'd taken Bellidor down the first time, after all.

Finally she decided to follow the creature, against her better judgment, and found it waiting for her on the front step. It sat still and silent, its crocodilian snout poised up in the air, and as it watched her approach it seemed to give her a smug smirk. It was the kind of smirk that immediately made Isabella think that perhaps it was hiding something, although if it _was_ hiding something it was unlikely to share. It only sat and stared.

Isabella approached it a little cautiously, mindful of the blades on its tails, but then found a place to sit on the other end of the step. She looked at it for a moment, and it back at her, and then without a sound it took off, almost instantly disappearing into the thick forest.

Isabella quickly followed, barely able to keep up with the creature. She could see little more of it than its shadow, ahead, and so that was what she focused on as she ran through the trees. After a minute the creature stopped, hopping up onto a pile of rocks and then turning back to Isabella. It pawed at the rocks, keeping its stare, and then stepped back.

Without hesitation Isabella dove down, digging away at the rocks, pushing them aside and tossing them behind her. Her mind had gone blank; it seemed she was susceptible to any suggestion that the creature would offer. Her breathing was heavy yet steady as she went, kicking up chunks of stone and gravel, burrowing into the rocks and slowly creating a small tunnel. After a few minutes she paused to catch her breath, sitting back and taking in the chill morning air. She turned to the creature. "Why?" she asked between breaths, "Why am I doing this?"

The creature only pawed urgently at the rocks, hoping for Isabella to continue.

She shook her head instead. "I can't. I can't do this for you unless-"

The creature suddenly perked up, staring intently off into the trees, its ears pointed straight up on its head. It only stood for a moment, watching, and then relaxed.

"What is it?" Isabella whispered, her eyes wide. She stared in the same direction that the creature had been, but she didn't see anything. She turned back to it, frowning. She knew it could understand her, but it seemed to lack any reason to cooperate with her.

So she had to give it one. "If I do this for you...can you show me where Moon is?"

The creature only sat for a moment, staring at her with its blank amber eyes, but then blinked and darted off into the trees.

"Wait!" Isabella cried, getting to her feet and chasing after it. It kept easily ahead of her, but it seemed too to want her to keep up. In between a pair of dark black trees it paused and waited for her.

Isabella eventually caught up, taking a spot on the ground to catch her breath. For such a small animal it could run remarkably fast, and if it kept it up for too long Isabella was certain she'd lose it. She was beginning to think that wouldn't be perhaps such a bad idea. The creature didn't seem to know where it was going, or what it wanted, and so she saw no reason to trust it like she did. Despite that, something in her told her that the creature was okay. There was a little voice in her that insisted she should trust it. If it hadn't been for that she'd have given up on it before it had even left the house. It seemed to want to lead her off in random directions, and she was beginning to suspect it might want to get her lost.

If it did, it had succeeded. Isabella didn't have any idea where she was. All she could see around her were trees, and even though the sun would come up soon she couldn't see the sky through the thick canopy of branches above her. She knew that the little creature before her was her only hope of getting back.

The creature seemed to know it, too, but it didn't have any intention of leading her home. Instead it just sat in between those two black trees and waited.

Isabella groaned. "What more do you want?" she demanded, giving the creature an irritated glare. Whatever game it seemed to want to play she wasn't interested; if it wouldn't do anything else it had better at least take her back to Shadowshire. She didn't want to be stuck out in the forest forever. Bellidor would find her and that would be the end of that. As it was he already had Moon. He didn't need Isabella too.

The creature sat for a moment, its tails swishing back and forth, its eyes on Isabella. It cocked its head to one side and mewled quietly.

Isabella scowled. "Whatever game you want me to play I'm not interested," she said, "If you're not going to show me where Moon is you may as well take me home."

The creature stared back at Isabella in silence, blinked once, and then stood and turned off into the dense trees ahead. It kept its tails and its head low as it walked, leading Isabella still further into the forest, down a steep rocky slope and eventually into a small cave at the bottom of the rocks. Its opening was hardly noticeable, and Isabella was certain that if the creature hadn't led her to it she would have passed it by, but the inside was pitch-black and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't see anything inside.

The creature suddenly turned and ran, and a moment later Isabella spotted Bellidor's hideous form on the higher rocks. Immediately she darted behind a cluster of boulders, glad that it hadn't yet seen her, and watched. It came down with hardly a sound, and as it came closer she could see a deep scratch running down one side of its skull, and another one across its sunken ribcage. After a few moments it passed, but she remained hidden behind the boulders, afraid to come out until she was certain it was gone.

She suddenly spotted the little creature, having returned now that Bellidor had gone, and Isabella slowly came out from her hiding place, back to the narrow opening to the cave. The creature looked up at her expectantly.

Isabella hesitated, staring down into the darkness of the cave. She was nearly certain that the little animal was playing games with her. Now that it had gotten her lost, she half expected it to lead her back to its den and eat her. Perhaps this cave was its den, she thought to herself. Despite that, she couldn't keep her eyes off the creature for more than a few seconds, and it seemed to have an air of calm about it that had vanished when it had fled from Bellidor. She realized that was probably one of its tricks, and shortly after she realized it was too late for her to get away from it in the first place. Wherever it would go she knew she had to follow. Whether that was a good idea or not she couldn't tell. Could she trust it? Probably not. But there wasn't much she could do about it, at least not now.

Finally she sighed. "Okay," she whispered, "Let's go."


	7. Rescue

The cave was pitch-dark; the only light that guided Isabella along was the tiny amber glow from the little creature's eyes as it walked beside her. Its feet were silent against the stone, a sharp contrast against Isabella's shuffling footsteps, and it kept its eyes low to the ground, easily hopping over the rocks that littered the floor.

"How much further?" Isabella squeaked, trying to keep her voice quiet. She didn't like that the cave was so dark; either that, or she didn't like being so confined. She couldn't decide which. Probably both, she concluded. Since her eyes weren't well-adjusted to the dark she was constantly stumbling, and in her mind she cursed the rocks that seemed to be strewn about the floor of the cave. After kicking her toes on a bigger one she hadn't seen she yelped, her voice mingling with the sound of the rock as it skittered across the floor. She frowned. That wasn't the sound a rock should make. It was too hollow. As the little animal trotted over to it, her blood nearly froze.

It was a human skull. This must have been where Bellidor had been staying since they'd escaped the first time, Isabella thought, and these were just the remains of its past kills. Just the thought of that made her shudder, and she took a deep breath before carrying on. She only hoped Moon hadn't joined the rest.

Well, it didn't really matter to her what had happened to Moon, she insisted to herself, but she didn't want to have to tell Marissa and the boys about it. Enough had happened to them already.

The creature kept alongside her as they headed deeper into the cave, but then up ahead Isabella stopped. Blocking the path ahead stood the ribcage of a long-dead giant, only bleached-white bones crammed into the small space. The cave had swallowed up the ends, making them disappear into the bare grey rock, and behind them Isabella could see only blackness - which was basically the same as all around her, considering the creature's eyes only provided the smallest light.

As the enormous carcass loomed closer, there with it came the smell of rotten meat, and Isabella had to hold one hand to her mouth so she wouldn't hurl. After a minute, the feeling passed and the creature sat, glancing up at Isabella as if expecting praise, as if to say, "ta-da."

Isabella only stood, silent. She could only see the outlines of the monster's ribs, like slender ghosts in the darkness, and slowly she approached. A sudden movement made her jump, and as she squinted closer she could see Moon huddled off to one side, stretching as far as she could out onto the floor. Her knife had been left inches out of her reach, and she sat with one shoulder crammed halfway through the bars of her cage so that she may try to grab it. Her fingers were mockingly close, but no matter how she stretched she couldn't touch it.

"Moon?" Isabella squeaked.

Moon glanced up at her, a little startled, and then blinked. "How long have you been here?"

Isabella faltered. "Um...I just got here."

"D'you mind giving me back my blade?"

Isabella took the knife by the hilt and handed it to Moon, who slid her shoulder back inside and then stood and stretched. She glanced up at one corner of the cage, and Isabella spotted a small black lock in the corner. Before she could comment, Moon jumped up to the corner and stuck her knife in the lock, using its end to pick it open. It gave a small _*click!*_ and then Moon jumped down, landing with a quiet thud on the floor and then turning back to the bars. Grabbing one of them she pushed it open, and then another, until she could squeeze through the opening. She gave Isabella a small nod of gratitude and then turned to run off.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Isabella exclaimed, chasing after Moon and tugging on one hand. "What about Phineas? What about Ferb? What about Marissa?"

Moon turned, her eyes narrow. "What about them? What happened?"

Isabella faltered for a moment, caught a little off-guard by how intimidating Moon was. She'd forgotten the feeling she got when Moon watched her. It was like a hawk watching a mouse, waiting for a chance to dive down and snatch it up. After a moment she found her voice again. "Well, they're back at the house-"

"Then let's go," Moon turned without another word and led Isabella quickly out of the cave and up into the forest. After the darkness, Isabella had to shield her eyes for a few moments to get used to the morning light, but then she could see the red sun peeking timidly in between the trees. She was glad of that after the long night.

But then she remembered she was lost. "Moon?" she asked quietly, "Um, I don't know the way back..."

Moon shook her head. "Me neither. Let's go."

Isabella only stood silent for a moment. How could Moon say that? Then again, she reasoned, most of the time Phineas made things up as he went too. That was part of his charm. Noticing Moon had already gone, she quickly ran to catch up. The last thing she needed now was to go back to being alone. As she followed behind Moon she could see a nasty-looking puncture wound in one thigh, giving her a slight limp and leaving dark runnels of blood to soak into her jeans. She seemed to ignore it, and after a while Moon's eyes brightened. "Hey, I know where we are. This way."

Isabella knew better than to protest. She followed Moon more closely, and within minutes she spotted the back gate of the house up ahead. Moon led her into the bare living room, where she sat in the corner and stretched out her injured leg.

"What about Phineas?" Isabella asked, "Don't you want to see him?"

Moon ignored her, rolling up her jeans so that she could take a closer look at her wound. It was still bleeding a little, and she wiped most of it away with the palm of one hand, licking it up as she went. Isabella was reminded of a cat in the way she moved, although a particularly ugly one, she thought to herself. She turned away as Moon began picking small strands of grey denim from the wound, keeping silent except for the occasional flinch. After a minute she rolled her jeans back down and turned back to Isabella. "Now what was that about the boy?"

"He's upstairs," Isabella led Moon up to the room where Marissa and the boys slept. Marissa remained pale and still, although one of Ferb's feet twitched occasionally in his sleep.

"I see you've fixed him already," Moon cocked an eyebrow, "What more do I need to see?"

Isabella paused. How could she tell Moon what had happened? Would she even care? She wasn't certain. She hadn't gotten so much as a "thanks" when she had helped Moon escape from that cave. Why would she want to help them? She realized then that Marissa would die. Moon wasn't about to do anything about it. Phineas might, but his death would be no better than Marissa's. Hot tears began to creep up into her eyes, and she turned away from Moon so she wouldn't see them. "It's - it's Marissa," she choked out finally. "She's been cursed..."

Moon's face hardened. Her expression was unreadable, although Isabella had a bad feeling she was about to eschew the idea that she might be able to help.

Finally she turned back. "What kind of curse?" she asked.

Isabella dug Ferb's hastily-scrawled note out of her pocket and handed it to Moon without a word. Moon took the note, read silently for a moment, and then crumpled it up and tossed it aside. "There's nothing I can do," she shook her head, "It's Phineas' decision."

Isabella could feel her face go pale. She only stared, unblinking, at Moon. Her voice was little more than a harsh choked whisper. "You mean-?"

Moon nodded. "One of them's got to go."

"But-" Isabella protested.

Moon held up a hand and she immediately fell silent. "There's nothing I can do about it. That's it."

Isabella burst into tears.


	8. Breaking

**Hey, guys, it's just me again. Sorry I haven't been updating lately, but what with the holiday season and all I've been terribly busy. Please excuse this absence as I'll try to update again soon. In the event that you don't hear from me in time: happy holidays, everyone!**

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Slowly Phineas began to wake. His mind only registered pain; it would take some time and maybe some caffeine to allow him to register more. There was pain all over him, a dull constant soreness that seemed to want to drive him back into sleep. Whenever he breathed he could feel a sharp sting in his ribs, and he thought that if he moved it would be the same. So he only lie there, hoping but unable to fall back into sleep. After a long time he began to remember what had happened. Isabella had saved him, hadn't she? Someone had. Or maybe he was still out in the woods. He couldn't tell. Maybe Moon had taken him back home. Yeah, that sounded about right.

He could hear quiet voices from somewhere close-by, and as his mind slowly began to clear he recognized one as Isabella's. He couldn't quite make out what she was saying, but she sounded upset about something. Aww, poor Isabella, he thought to himself. Slowly he realized that she was probably worried for him. He remembered that he'd found her in the woods - why? - ah, right, he'd wanted her to go out for Ferb. Had she found him? Was he okay? His mind still sluggish, but better, he opened his eyes a little. Harsh light blinded him and he turned away, his nose searching for something to burrow into so that he wouldn't be blinded again. Finding something soft, he buried his head into it and found an escape from the light. The warm smell of his sister greeted him, and from that he knew he would be alright. He relaxed a little.

Isabella's voice came a little closer to him, and slowly he began to make out her quiet words. "Phineas...? Phineas, wake up..."

As his mind fell more into focus, he slowly opened his eyes again, careful of the harsh light that had caught him off-guard the first time. He focused on Isabella, giving her a tiny fleeting smile. He was glad she was okay, at least. "I-Isa-?"

"Phineas, listen..." her voice echoed through his head, making his ears ring a little, and he flinched back from the sound. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, and then her voice again, a little more quietly: "Phineas, listen to me..."

He looked back up at her, the echoes of her voice having died down. He could see she was concerned about something - was she concerned about him, perhaps? He supposed so. Still a little dazed, he slowly propped himself up on his elbows, careful of the soreness that had seeped into him. "Isabella...? What's going on...?"

"Phineas, it's your sister," Isabella squeaked, "She-"

At the mention of his sister, Phineas' mind instantly cleared. He frowned. "Marissa? What about her?"

"Well," Isabella's eyes shifted down to the floor for a moment before she looked back up at him. She was silent for a moment, hesitant, but then spoke. "She's been cursed."

Phineas faltered. "What?"

Isabella nodded slowly. "Bellidor did it. We found her out in the woods last night after she'd gone out after you. She's got this really bad fever, and she's so pale, and-"

Before she could continue, Moon cut in, startling them both. "If nothing is done she'll die. The only way to save her is for you to die instead," she gave Phineas a narrow glance from her place in the corner, perched on the back of an old rocking-chair.

"What...?" Moon's words hit Phineas like a brick wall, stunning him momentarily and echoing inside his head. "But-"

"That's how it is," Moon told him, her voice carefully blank. She refused to influence his decision, whatever that might be. She had her opinion, but she knew not to voice it; he would decide for himself.

Phineas' mind stalled. "But I - I can't let her die. This can't be real - there has to be another way, please-"

Moon only shook her head, silencing him. He could feel his insides slowly beginning to twist, a dark knot forming in his stomach as the idea finally sunk into his mind that he would have to sacrifice himself to save his sister. His head hung, he gave a tiny nod. His voice was quiet. "I have to save her."

"But, Phineas-" Isabella protested, but was held back by Moon's rough hand on her shoulder. Despite her strength her hold was surprisingly soft. Isabella turned back to her, her eyes questioning.

"It's his decision," Moon told her. Her eyes were still so blank, and Isabella was certain that she didn't feel a thing for any of them. All she cared about was that she had been freed. After that, it was no longer her problem.

But once again she was right. Phineas would make his choice.

Moon turned to him. "You're certain?"

"I have to," Phineas whispered, "She's my sister. I can't let her die."

Moon only nodded. "Fine."

"Phineas, you can't just-" Isabella exclaimed, her voice cut short by Phineas' quiet stare. After a moment she ran to him, throwing her arms around him and burying her head into his shoulder. No longer able to control it, she sobbed. "I - I'll miss you..."


	9. Bellidor's Revenge

**I know it's been a week or two since I've updated, but the holidays have been kinda nuts and I hadn't found time. So here goes. Hopefully I'll be posting back on schedule soon.**

* * *

He sat in silence, clinging to his sister. He knew that she wouldn't support his decision. She would insist that he not do this for her.

But he had to. He couldn't live without her. She was his sister. He owed her so much. He sat with her, one of her hands folded tight in both of his, tears streaming silently down his face. The others had left them so that they could be alone for a while, and he was glad for that. He needed to be alone with her. Leaning his head into her shoulder, he took in her scent for what he knew would be the last time. He had always been calmed by that smell, and she by his, but this time was different. This time he couldn't find any solace in it. He could find only sadness.

There was a small click behind him, and he looked up to see that the window had fallen open, allowing the chilly morning air to drift slowly into the room. If there had been curtains over the window, they would have fluttered lightly. The draft made him shiver slightly, pulling closer to his sleeping sister. A moment later, he spotted two dark eyes in the shadowed corner of the room, and he froze.

Bellidor was here.

It stood in the dark corner of the room, in the place where the morning sun couldn't yet reach, its eyes locked on Phineas, unblinking. Although it hadn't any skin on its chalk-white skull, it was clear that it was smiling. When it spoke, its voice was harshly hollow. "So? Have you made your choice?"

Phineas shrank back from the monster, clinging tighter to his sister as if she would be able to provide any protection for him. He tried to speak, but his voice had all but gone. Instead he just sat, shaking.

"It doesn't really matter, you know," Bellidor told him, taking a step forward that made him wince. Its arms were crossed in front of it, two pairs of strong jaws folded over its bare ribcage chest. It cocked an eyebrow. "If you die for her, she'll be weak. It won't be hard to feed on her when the time comes. If you prefer to save your own skin, well, the same would happen to you, wouldn't it?"

Phineas could feel himself shaking as he sat, clutching Marissa in his arms, his eyes locked fearfully onto Bellidor. Finally finding his voice, he managed to whisper: "Wh-what do you want? Why are you doing this to us?"

"Because I'm hungry," Bellidor snapped, "I'm higher on the food chain than you. I'm stronger and faster and smarter than you. I get _whatever I want_, and I won't let _any_one stop me," as it spoke, its tail lashed back and forth in irritation, its sharp end like a nasty wasp waiting to sting.

Phineas shrank back, but then glared. He could feel his heart pounding, and he was fairly certain Bellidor could hear the same, but he refused to let himself be intimidated so easily. "Why us?" he demanded, his voice quivering but determined, "Why not go and pick on someone else?"

Bellidor chuckled. "Because I hate you," it stated simply, "Thanks to you I've had to go hungry once already. I won't let the same happen again. _I will have you_," and it lunged, both its forearms splitting open to show its rows of jagged teeth, and caught him by the back of his t-shirt as he turned to run. Its teeth left little sharp holes in the shirt as it pulled him back, finding a better hold on his throat and holding him up high off the floor. It wouldn't kill him - not yet, not till it had had its way with him. He had to understand _never_ to cross a soul-sucker.

Or maybe it would slaughter him. It had him pinned helplessly off the ground, after all, and it was terribly hungry. The new moon wouldn't be until nightfall, but as long as its prey wasn't dead until then it could do what it wanted. It knew exactly what it could do without killing the little vermin, since it had plenty of experience. Its eyes settled on one of Phineas' hands, each tugging weakly at the jaws around his neck, and decided that would be the best place to start. It gave him a malicious glare, and then snapped-

Moon's blade struck it hard in the ribs, its end wedged between them, and Bellidor dropped Phineas hard onto the wooden floor. It turned to see Moon standing in the doorway, with Isabella and Ferb each hidden behind her. Her eyes narrowed.

Phineas landed hard on the floor, coughing, and then quickly scrambled back to Moon, throwing his arms around her waist as tears welled up in his eyes. He wanted to speak but she quickly pried him away, setting him back with Ferb and Isabella. Turning back to Bellidor she growled.

Bellidor yanked the knife out of its side, wincing slightly as it slid out from its ribcage, and tossed it aside. "You again," it hissed, "I should have known you'd escape-"

"I helped," Isabella said bravely, still hiding behind Moon but giving Bellidor a glare. "If it wasn't for that little creature-"

"-what creature?" Moon and Bellidor asked together.

Isabella gulped. "Oops..."

"No matter," Bellidor resolved, "After I'm done with you I'll kill that too."

"Not a chance," Moon snarled, taking an aggressive step forward. She kept her eyes locked on Bellidor, like a wolf watching a deer, waiting for a chance to strike. She was certain she could take the monster down, if given the chance.

Bellidor only watched, unmoving. After a moment its jaws snapped just, both simultaneously, giving a tiny echo but nothing more. It knew that this hot-headed human would be no match for it. It had taken down many bigger than she was, and at the moment it had very little patience. With a fierce growl it lunged, quickly pinning Moon down with its strong arms and lashing its tail sharply over its head. Its eyes narrowed in determination, its tail driven down hard into the old wooden floor where Moon's head had been a split second before. With both legs she kicked the monster, sending it skidding back away from her and leaving hard scratches in the floor from its sharp claws. Keeping one eye on it she briefly glanced to the others. "Run."

"But, Moon, we can't leave you here!" Phineas protested.

Moon shrugged. "Fine. Sit and watch, then. I don't care," she turned back to Bellidor just in time to see it pounce, and instantly the two of them were locked in the deadliest of fights. Teeth and claws flew from both sides, and for a long time it was impossible to tell who would win.

Finally at an apparent stalemate, they both just stood to catch their breath. Moon was bleeding in several places, but she seemed to ignore it as she watched the monster for its next move. She had a sharp cut over one eye, making her seem like a stereotypical action-movie hero, and as she shook a strand of stray hair our of her face, small flecks of blood went with it.

Just as suddenly the pause had come it was over, and they both leaped back into battle. After a moment Moon pinned the daemon down, using a trick she'd seen in a cartoon when she was little, and held both its arms tight behind its back. Its tail was wrapped tight in her legs, and although the end twitched occasionally she knew it wasn't dangerous. Breathing heavily, she turned to Isabella and the boys. "You guys wanna kill it? I've kinda got my hands full."

"Um, Moon, don't you think we could do something else about it?" Phineas asked, "Maybe release it somewhere in the jungle or something where it won't hurt anyone?"

Moon frowned. "What for?"

"So then we won't have to kill it. Killing things isn't nice," Phineas told her.

Moon rolled her eyes. "Fine. Then can you at least hand me the knife? _I'll_ kill it."

Ferb picked up her dagger, handing it hilt-first to her, and then stood for a moment over Bellidor. Without a word he bent down and gave the monster a small pinch in the shoulder.

Instantly the monster fell limp.

Moon cocked an eyebrow. "Well...okay."


	10. The Clock Is Ticking

Moon sat silently in the corner of the room, perched like a gargoyle on the flat square bedpost. Below her lie sleeping Marissa, pale-white against the dark grey sheets of the bed she'd been given. She watched her for a minute, unblinking, and then turned to Isabella. "Tell me about that little animal you saw."

Isabella frowned. "Moon, I don't see how it would help-"

"Tell me," Moon snapped.

Isabella sighed. "It was little and black. About Pinky's size, maybe. Long long legs, with little paws. Kind of a lizard-nose, alligator, almost, and big yellow eyes, and six tails-"

"Six tails?" Moon interrupted, giving her a sharp side-long look.

Isabella nodded meekly.

Moon was silent, her face blank. Isabella was certain this was her thinking face, but it wasn't the kind of face to give her any clues as to what her thinking might have been about. She looked instead into her eyes, hoping for a hint, but found none and gave up.

A long time later Moon spoke. "We have to find it."

"Why?" Isabella asked, "What is it?"

"It's important," was all Moon said. She hopped down from the bedpost, landing with just a tiny thud on the floor, and then headed over to the door. She paused in the frame, turning back to Isabella. "You and the boys stay here. I'll be back."

Isabella was about to protest, but Moon was already gone. Instead she just found a place on the end of Marissa's bed and sat with her. The boys sat with her, too, one on each side as if they were protecting her. Phineas held one of her hands in both of his, and although he was silent it was clear that he'd been crying; his eyes were red, and every so often a hard sob wracked him.

Ferb just sat, stoic as usual, although behind his blank eyes he felt much the same as Phineas did. He'd hate to lose his sister, to lose his brother...it would be too much for him. He wouldn't be able to take it. He'd almost lost him when Bellidor had taken him the first time. This would be ten times worse. He hated that monster, more than he'd ever hated anything else in his life. It wasn't in him to hate; why did this come so easily? He was scared of it, almost as much as he was scared of the monster. But he was glad that Moon was okay.

She was a good fighter, and he knew that was what they needed right now.

He leaned in closer to sleeping Marissa, noticing how pale she'd gotten. Her skin was so cold, sending a shiver down his spine when he touched her. Regardless, he clung to her like a wet cloth clings, refusing to let go. He was certain that if Moon didn't return, she would die. There was nothing he could do for her.

That was probably the worst part.

* * *

It was silent. It had been for hours. They had little to do except wait. The boys had nestled in with Marissa to keep her warm, and after a time Isabella had joined them. Despite the three of them, Marissa still lie cold, shivering occasionally. Isabella had found a pile of old dusty blankets in a closet, and after shaking the dust and spiders out of them she had brought them back in the hopes that they might help warm Marissa up.

They hadn't.

Instead they were strewn about the bed, half-wrapped around the boys and Isabella and Marissa like fancy candies from the fine chocolatiers in town. They sat, each silent, each with their own thoughts. The time was slow here, and although the huge grandfather clock in the hall had long since stopped working, they could hear it echoing the silence back to them. It was the kind of silence that hung over a room after breaking the news that the family puppy has just been smashed by a truck, or that the family has to move far away and that no one would get to see their friends again, or that old granny has developed some deadly disease with no cure.

When Ferb spoke his voice seemed impossibly loud. "Phineas?"

Phineas looked up from his thoughts, his eyes sombre. "Yeah?"

"I'm scared."

Phineas sat still for a moment as a single tear formed in one eye and then slid silently down his cheek. "Me too."


	11. Quid Pro Quo

By the time Moon returned, it was almost night. The sun had turned the sky a sharp red-pink, and from the window there was little else to be seen except the trees that had overrun the yard.

The boys had fallen asleep, but Isabella hadn't been able to; she hadn't been able to get rid of the knot in her stomach since she'd found out about Marissa's curse, and it had only gotten worse since then. She was certain she could be sick at any moment, but it was never quite there, just a nauseated feeling that had settled in her gut and wouldn't let go.

She sighed.

The door opened with a quiet squeak, and she looked up to see that Moon had returned. Khan stood at her side, and next to her stood that little creature that had led Isabella to Moon in the first place. Khan quickly waddled off, uneasy about the creature since it was about her size and was definitely higher on the food chain than she was.

Isabella glanced down at the creature. Since it had been so dark before, she hadn't been able to get a good look at it, but in the late afternoon sun its form was clear; its fur was thin and puffy, making it seem slightly kitten-like, and its six wiry tails all stuck up in different directions. Its crocodile-mouth hung slightly open, showing its tiny pointed teeth, and its huge amber eyes stared blankly at Isabella. After a moment it hiccuped.

"Um," Isabella squeaked, "Why is this such a big deal? I mean Marissa's dying here - don't you think that's more important than some stupid little animal we found in the woods?"

Moon gave Isabella a dark glare. "You don't understand. How can you? You don't know better."

"Moon, there's nothing better to know!" Isabella exclaimed, "Don't you get it? Marissa's going to die and all you're worried about is some stupid animal!"

Moon shook her head. "Just wait and see."

Isabella could feel her face beginning to turn a flushed red, and her hands clenched into tight fists. She wanted to scream, to get it into Moon's head that Marissa would be dead soon, to somehow make her understand what was happening. But Moon refused to care. She was just a rotten little-

Phineas suddenly woke, giving a small startled yelp as he did so, and then settled back against Marissa's body, hoping for some small piece of comfort that he could salvage from her. Having found none, he sighed.

Moon gave him little more than a short glance before turning back to Isabella. "Just sit and watch."

"But-" Isabella protested, but was silenced by one of Moon's fingers put up in front of her face.

"Just sit and watch," she repeated, and then turned her flat eyes back to Phineas. When she spoke again her voice was quiet. "You ready?"

Phineas hesitated. He clung to Marissa's side for a moment, but then nodded. "Okay," he whispered, "Okay."

"But Phineas-" Isabella began, but then fell silent. Instead she just threw her arms around him and cried.

Phineas cried too.

Moon just sat, infinitely patient, waiting for them to finish their little moment. She didn't care for such things as fragile feelings - and on the rare occasion she did, she certainly wouldn't admit it to anybody - but she wouldn't interrupt. She only sat, silent, until they were done.

After a long moment, Phineas finally let Isabella go, and turned instead to Ferb. "Tell Mom and Dad I love them, okay? And take care of Perry for me..."

Ferb was silent for a moment, but then as he nodded a single tear ran down the side of his face. "Okay, bro."

Phineas gave him a grateful half-smile, keeping his eyes low, and then turned back to Moon. "Okay," he said, shaking a little.

Moon didn't make a sound as she picked him up from his place on the bed next to his sister. She held him by the back of his t-shirt, her eyes flat, her face even. She could feel his heart racing, she could feel him shaking, and she could feel the fear emanating from him. But he'd told her before that he wanted to do this. So she wouldn't argue with him. It wasn't a problem for her.

He'd thank her later.

Her eyes were locked on him, and his her, and for a moment the two of them just stared at each other, neither of them saying a word. After a minute she turned to Isabella, her voice stiff and demanding. "Go down to the kitchen. Find a big bowl and bring it up."

Isabella just sat, frozen, for a moment, but then ran off, quickly disappearing down the hall toward the stairs.

Moon watched her go, and then gave a small satisfied nod. With one foot, she nudged out from under the bed a clear glass bowl with a huge chip out of one edge. It slid easily across the old wooden floor with hardly a sound, coming to a rest under Phineas' kicking feet.

Phineas could do little but shake in Moon's grip, afraid to die for his sister but more afraid not to. Finally he just closed his eyes, bracing himself the best he could for the pain of death.

Moon made not a sound as she drew her knife in her free hand, held it for a moment, and then set Phineas carefully down on the floor. He could feel her hot breath in his ear as she whispered, "You'll make out just fine, boy."

"What-?" but he didn't have time to finish; in one swift movement Moon had slit his throat. He dropped, coughing and crying, as his blood ran freely from him, flowing in an impossibly neat stream down into the glass bowl on the floor. As he coughed, the stream first wavered and then split into a hundred droplets, its tiny moment of perfection replaced by dark chaos. Regardless, the bowl was filled within seconds, and Moon quickly pulled it away so that Phineas wouldn't spill any. She watched him, her eyes even, as he kicked and struggled and coughed and cried and clawed at his throat to make the blood stop. After a minute she turned back to Marissa, holding the bowl up to her open mouth so that she must drink.

No sooner had it touched her than her eyes snapped open. All she saw: Moon, with a sturdy hand on her shoulder, with blood spattered across her face and more in her mouth, more that she was made to swallow. Her only thought was panic, and she tried to squirm away from Moon's strong hands but was unable to evade her, and she was made to take the rest of Phineas' blood. The stark salt-copper taste in her mouth made her choke, and from there she went into a steep coughing fit. Even when she was done the taste still lingered in her mouth, and she was certain it would make her sick. Angrily she turned to Moon, her eyes harsh and demanding. "What the hell, Moon? Why would you-?"

Moon just pointed one finger to Phineas, who lay on the floor, gasping for air but unable to cough up anything except blood. His skin had turned a stark paper-white, and his eyes had glazed over, no longer able to focus.

"His idea," was all Moon said.

Marissa scrambled to him, kicking away the blankets that had been thrown over her, and carefully took his head up in her lap. "Phineas, no, please, Phineas, stay with me-"

Phineas' eyes suddenly focused on her, and he gave a weak tiny smile. Reaching up with one shaky hand, he set it carefully on the side of Marissa's cheek. It stayed there for a moment, and then slid back down, without so much as a sound.

Marissa burst into tears. "No, Phineas, stay with me, please-"

But he was gone.


End file.
